Match report by Colin Ainsworth

The Badgers went to local rivals Somerset Gryphons for a game with rivalries across the pitch, with players from the same classes at school playing against each other and our Centre Forward Josh Ainsworth facing up against his cousin in the opposition goal! Gryphons clearly had a few more players with more match experience on the pitch including NSHC’s men’s first team player Noah Coulson at centre back.

The match started quickly and Gryphons had the attack working well, generally playing with an attacking formation to find space in our half. We weathered the early storm, including a great save from Hugh Price diving with his stick to clear the ball off the line. The first goal came from a lovely passing move down the right, through Rachel Crees, then Charlie Colling passing across to Josh A, his initial shot saved by his cousin, but firing the rebound into the back of the net. Gryphons came back very strongly and kept up the pressure before a neat spin from one of their girls put the ball in off the right hand post and then shortly after followed up with another goal in virtually the same place.

We discussed at halftime about being a little more clinical with our passes and making sure of where we put them, it got us moving forward well and won us a short corner which Jack Colling put in from the top of the D. Gryphons kept up their pressure and moved the ball down the wings, but great marking by Lily Carling, Stan Edwell and Will Humphries kept their wingers in check, but they found other players with space in the middle. After winning a short corner Gryphons managed to convert it to regain a one goal lead before we went back up the other end and saw Jack put in another drag flick to level the game.

As we thought the game would end in a well deserved draw for both teams, Gryphons came forward with Noah on a charge and despite the attempts of our defence, including a foul in the D, which the umpire rightly played advantage for Noah managed to hit the ball very cleanly again into the corner of the goal and seal a 4-3 win for Gryphons. One of the best Badgers matches we have been a part of. It really shows how hard the players are working and learning from the coaching and games. We can expect to see lots of them featuring for the senior sides by the end of the season. Also as most of the team are about 12/13, we should be set strong for a few years to come.